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Nelson's Grandson and Naval Surgeon

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Nelson's Grandson and Naval Surgeon History 145 Marmaduke Philip Smyth Ward (1825-1885): Nelson’s grandson and naval surgeon I D Fraser Abstract As a naval hero Vice-Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson holds a special place in the affections of the British people. Any expecta- tion that his country would provide for Lady Emma Hamilton and his daughter, Horatia, was almost forgotten when he died. However, following Emma’s death, Nelson’s family shaped Horatia’s destiny, which resulted in a happy marriage and a large family. Her second son, Marmaduke, was influenced by an uncle, a surgeon, who trained and guided him towards a surgical qualification and a life at sea as a surgeon in the Royal Navy. Despite a paucity of documentary evidence, it has been possible to trace his progress by analysing his Admiralty service record and abstracting information from an extensive biography of his mother. As another piece in the Nelson narrative, this account adds a medical perspective. Fraser I D. J R Nav Med Serv 2019;105(2):145–149 Introduction villages Horatia mixed with families, such as the Girdlestones, In 1794 Captain Horatio Nelson, writing to his friend the who would feature in her later family life. Well-grounded Duke of Clarence, declared “One plan I pursue, never to in languages and deportment by her mother, her continued employ a Doctor; Nature does all for me, and Providence academic and social education prepared her well for a decent protects me.”1 In fact, Nelson sought numerous medical marriage. At the age of 21 Horatia Nelson married the Rev. or surgical consultations, some with notable interventions, Philip Ward, curate of Burnham Westgate Church, now St. which have been documented extensively elsewhere.2-4 Mary’s Church in Burnham Market, on 19 February 1822. Nelson’s formidable management skills included support of his surgeons by aiding their promotion personally5 and by In their happy marriage Philip and Horatia produced ten supporting them generally in letters to the Admiralty seeking children. Their first was a son, christened Horatio Nelson improved conditions of employment.6 Two generations later Ward, the second a daughter, and the third a son, named his grandson, Marmaduke Ward, was to follow the family Marmaduke Philip Smyth Ward, who took the given names tradition of a career in the Royal Navy (RN). of the Ward dynasty. Marmaduke was born on 27 May 1825 and christened by his father, the curate, on the same day in the The relationship between Nelson and Lady Emma Hamilton small church in Bircham Newton, Norfolk. led to the birth of their daughter, Horatia, in January 1801. Apart from his stepson, Josiah Nisbet, Horatia was Nelson’s Marmaduke’s education only surviving child and in the last four years of his life it Marmaduke grew up in a large family where financial was she who brought him intense pleasure.7 In a codicil to his security was marginal. The children were educated by their will he left Emma and Horatia to the nation,8 a wish that was father at home. Horatio secured a place at Pembroke College, largely unfulfilled until May 1850 when the Nelson Memorial Cambridge. Marmaduke spent time with his uncle and aunt Fund was launched and subsequently supported in 1854 by in Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk, especially after his parents Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.9 moved parish to Tenterden, Kent, in search of a better living. Cricket was a passion for the Ward men, including Lady Emma Hamilton, widowed from Sir William in 1803 Marmaduke’s younger brother, Nelson, and his brother-in-law, and lacking Nelson’s support after his death in 1805, lost William Johnson, who married their younger sister, also named control of her finances. To escape imprisonment for her debts Horatia. In just one reference10 concerning Marmaduke, often in 1814 Emma and Horatia fled London for Calais, France. repeated, we find him “passing up an offer to play professional Emma’s health deteriorated rapidly, and she died in poverty cricket in Borbanu, India”. in 1815. Horatia, then 14 years old, returned to England to be taken in by the families of Horatio Nelson’s sisters, Catherine The marriages of Admiral Horatio Nelson’s sisters established (the younger) and Susanna (the older), married to George a secure family network. Susanna’s sister-in-law, Ann Bolton, Matcham and Thomas Bolton respectively. Initially Horatia married Dr Henry John Girdlestone who had been in medical lived with the Matchams in Sussex and later with the Boltons practice in Wells-next-the-Sea until 1805. Their daughter, Ann in Burnham Market, Norfolk. Near and around the Burnham Bolton Girdlestone, married James Young, a surgeon who had 146 Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service 2019; 105(2) served in the Honourable East India Company Service in 1815. as a member of the Sydenham Society in 184513 while he “lived They had a son, Henry John Girdlestone Young, who was with Dr and Mrs Young at Wells, where he passed his articles, thus a distant cousin of Marmaduke and a few months older. and went on to Glasgow University.”14 There are no records of When Marmaduke was sent to stay with the Youngs in Wells him at Glasgow University but, clearly, he obtained enough his uncle’s professional life and stories of travel may have approved credits to enable him to take the MRCS examination influenced both young men in their career choice. Marmaduke in London. He passed on 30 June 1848, aged 23 [pers. comm., was apprenticed to James Young and accordingly lodged Library and Archives of the Royal College of Surgeons]. with the family. In this medical environment Marmaduke’s ambitions and career were fostered. Naval career Cousin Henry appears to have been academically gifted. Marmaduke’s service record (Table 1)15 reveals that he was He matriculated at University College London (1842), was appointed assistant surgeon on 22 July 1848 when he arrived admitted Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries and passed in Chatham, home of the naval medical base, Melville the MRCS (England) in 184511 [also pers. comm., Library and Hospital. He spent over 2 years on board HMS POICTIERS, Archives of the Royal College of Surgeons], graduating MD at CUMBERLAND and BOSCAWEN, 3rd rate ships with the University of Glasgow in 1846.12 Marmaduke is recorded complements of 590-620 men. In January 1851 he was placed Date start Date end Rank Ship/Hospital H/S * Comments 22.07.48 30.08.50 Assist. Surg. Poictiers H Links with Melville Hospital, Chatham 31.08.50 06.01.51 A/S Cumberland H 07.01.51 12.01.51 A/S Boscawen H 13.01.51 02.12.53 A/S Spy S “Assist. Surg in charge” 3 years 20.01.54 22.10.54 A/S Plymouth Naval Hospital H Crimean War. HMS Royal Albert. 23.10.54 15.07.55 A/S Therapia Naval Hospital, Istanbul S “Addl Assist Surg” 16.07.55 07.08.56 A/S Therapia Naval Hospital, Istanbul S 15.08.56 30.06.57 A/S Portsmouth Marine Infirmary Portsmouth Royal Marines Infantry 01.07.57 11.09.57 A/S Portsmouth Marine Infirmary “Passed his examination for Naval 25.05.57 Surgeon” Lancet 30 May 1857 26.08.57 “Promoted Surgeon” Service record 3+ years. 2nd Anglo-Chinese “opium” 16.02.58 01.08.61 Surgeon Calcutta then onto Nimrod on 17.08.58 S wars 11.12.61 20.02.66 Surgeon Chanticleer S 4 years 18.06.67 30.04.68 Surgeon Irresistible H 01.05.68 09.02.69 Surgeon Hector H 20.06.70 31.12.70 Surgeon St. Vincent H 01.01.71 05.03.72 Surgeon St. Vincent H Total time on St. Vincent 3 years 06.03.72 05.07.73 Staff Surgeon St. Vincent H Promoted to Staff Surgeon 09.10.74 11.09.76 Fleet Surgeon Doris S Promoted to Fleet Surgeon. 2 years 19.09.76 13.10.79 Fleet Surgeon Duncan H 3 years 01.04.81 Retires Deputy Inspector-General of Hospitals and Fleets Aged 55+ *H= Harbour service 33 years in the Royal Navy *S= Sea service 26+ years in active service 6+ years on half pay awaiting ap- pointments Table 1: The Royal Navy service record of Marmaduke Philip Smyth Ward (1848-1881). Abstracted from The National Archives references ADM/196/9 and ADM 196/79/1146. History 147 on HMS SPY for three years as assistant surgeon in charge. outbreaks of smallpox, measles and mumps, transferring the This ship was a relatively small brigantine tasked with anti- smallpox cases to the nearby Royal Naval Hospital HASLAR. slave duties off the west coast of Africa. In 1854 he was posted Two years through this 3-year appointment on ST VINCENT, to the Naval Hospital in Plymouth for nine months. Marmaduke, aged 47, was promoted to Staff Surgeon and again to Fleet Surgeon in 1875, having served for more than Encouraged by Florence Nightingale, the Times newspaper twenty years. reported gross deficiencies in medical care and a shortage of surgeons during the Crimean War in 1854.16 Marmaduke’s His final overseas tour was on HMS DORIS as Fleet Surgeon. service record locates him from 23 October 1854 to 7 August DORIS was a 32-gun wooden screw-driven frigate sailing as 1856 at the naval hospital in Therapia (now Tarabya), north part of the Detached Squadron and later the Flying Squadron. of Constantinople (now Istanbul) on the western shore of The tour started at Madeira, crossed to the West Indies, South the Bosporus.
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